By John Gushue, SOB (Salesian Old Boys)

(Rosemead, California) – Don Bosco’s apostolate to the poorest of the poor is vibrant in remote Guatemala. Raxjuhua, located in Northern Guatemala (between Belize and Mexico), is the site of a Don Bosco Trade School, primarily focused on students of Maya descent. The students speak Qʼeqchiʼ (or Kekchi) as a native language and Spanish as a second language. Recently, a group of former Salesians, calling themselves Salesian Old Boys, discovered an opportunity to provide direct support to the electrical shop at the School from their Gene Mylan Fund. Besides construction, electrical skills, DBT trains students in agriculture, baking, computer science, welding, and carpentry.

During a Mission Trip to Guatemala in 2021, SOB (Salesian Old Boys) John Gushue focused on upgrading the electrical system at a convent compound in a village not far from Raxjuha. When John discovered a picture of Don Bosco in the church at the convent compound, he was advised that there was a Don Bosco school nearby. Eventually, John visited the school to discover an electrical shop similar to his high school shop at Don Bosco Tech – Boston. John immediately noticed the need for shop tools and inquired about specific needs. The school readily provided a list of needed tools.

John presented the list of needed tools to a group of his friends who were former United States and Canadian Salesians who annually donate to a worthy Salesian work. The group titles themselves as “Salesian Old Boys,” emulating the SDB they once carried behind their name as Salesians. The group has donated to Salesian works worldwide for over twenty-five years.

The SOB group selected the tools for the electrical shop at the Don Bosco Trade School in Raxhuja, Guatemala, for their 2025 project. The school received over $15,000.00 USD on St. John Bosco’s Feastday in 2026. Typically, project funds are presented annually on St. John Bosco’s Feast Day.